Letters to the Editor
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Dear Editor,
Thank you for your tribute to Editor Tom Phillips published int he Sunday, Sept. 4, edition of the Breeze-Courier. Mr. Phillips, of the Pana News-Palladium and Mr. Ed Ovca, Sr., of the Nokomis Free Press-Progress, were the first editors to publish my submissions. The summer of 1962, my dad announced he had accepted a transfer with CIPS to a more independent job in Nokomis. It was devastating news to me: all my older siblings had completed their school years in Pana. My brother held the record in Panthers basketball for number of successful free throws. One of my sisters had been the very first girl form the far north end of Pana to become homecoming queen. Our neighbors had purchased milk, cream and eggs from us. People knew, liked and respected our family. We moved from a country setting into the residential of Nokomis. No pastures to wander in, no horses, cattle, animals, bee hives for honey, no large garden, no orchard surrounded by beautiful evergreens my dad had nurtured from springs. My young world was decimated: I stopped eating, moving, talking. I wanted to communicate with a world taken from me, but could not speak to to or to those removed from my young life. So, I started writing poems, essays, short stories, letters and journaling. Mr. Phillips was well acquainted with our family. I started sending Mr. Phillips and Mr. Ovca poems and essays. They published them! Somebody heard me; somebody communicated with me! As I soon learned to type, I persuaded my dad to order a small portable typewriter for me from Montgomery Wards so I could type my submissions. I started entering writing compositions of any nature to learn form and constructive criticism. I won a Wendy Ward competition and The Sunshine Magazine published an essay. A teacher from Nokomis High School encouraged me to continuing entering contests. One day, a fellow student had read a submission printed in the Free Press-Progress and remarked, “You wrote what I wanted to say.” And I knew that I had a purpose and a plan to improve. After high school, I took classes in journalism, mass media and creative writing. I learned the difference between “yellow” journalism and quality reporting. Since those early years, I have reached out to many editors and many, many sources of publication and media. Though I am not famous, not wealthy or prominent, I firmly believe editors are a viable and valuable race commodity of our world. Many have tried to destroy the written word through the centuries, but it endures and will survive even the digital age of our generation. Mr. Phillips and Mr. Ovca were editors not only with integrity but compassion. They brought the light of hope and communication into the life of a young girl who had lost both. With all the best wishes for the continuing publication and success of the Breeze-Courier and other area newspapers.
Sincerely, Linda Sue Hagood, Taylorville
Dear Editor,
Why would the former president leave office with 320 classified documents? Simple. The former president is a transactional grifter who views those documents as leverage with the government for future civil and/or criminal proceedings against him or his family. That leverage is more appropriately called blackmail. I don’t believe for one moment the former president would hesitate to offer those secrets for sale should he need a half-billion dollars or so to shore up his business. He’s all business and in his business, all is fair play. That’s why he stole them.
Sincerely, Lance Trainer, Taylorville
Dear Editor,
The Democrats are throwing an apoplectic fit over Hobbs vs. Jackson Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe vs. Wade and Planned Parenthood vs. Casey. Why such outrage? I’ll tell you why. The leftists were smacked in the face with the Constitution itself. Hobbs, along with two other recent decisions, represent a victory for the limited government view of our republican system. They were legal interpretations of constitutional rights as written in the Constitution (original intent). The ruling finds that the Supreme Court has no jurisdiction over the abortion issue. Under the Tenth Amendment, abortion is a state issue as part of state sovereignty. That’s the way it was for almost 200 years. Then, in 1973, the “legal fiction” known as Roe vs. Wade was inflicted upon the nation. Sadly, most brutally upon the precious newborn. Hobbs restores essential elements of the balance of power established by the Founding Fathers that they enshrined in the Constitution. This ruling limits federal power rather than brandishing that power. The abortion controversy is simply returned to the will of the people in the individual states where its always belonged. The federal government has unconstitutionally usurped the rightful authority of the individual states; it has NO delegated authority with regard to establishing a right to abortion, as is true with many other issues. For 50 years, the Blackmun decision in Roe unfairly handed abortion advocated a gigantic advantage over advocated for the unborn. Now, Hobbs has renewed the spirit and resolve of pro-lifers everywhere. We must change hearts and minds and hopefully, save souls by convincing more people that all babies begin life at conception. That they are made in the image of God and deserve a chance at life beyond the womb.
Sincerely, Monica Seigfreid, Assumption
